Monsoon Season Has Arrived

I woke up at the usual time this morning, a little past 4:30. I lingered in bed a few moments before going out to the porch. When I finally motivated myself and opened the door I was greeted by a sound that I had not heard in months---rain. It was so startling to hear it that I had to lean out over the railing to draw in the aroma.

The first rain in Arizona always marks the start of the Second Summer---monsoon season. When I was younger, I imagined monsoons were violent weather events. In reality they are simply shifting weather patterns that bring moisture off the ocean to an otherwise arid region.

The clouds have been teasing us for weeks, growing dark at times, and even sending shoots of rain downwards, but without any rain reaching the ground. Finally this morning we got the first rain since April. Within a half hour it had stopped. Experiencing it was one of the benefits of getting up early.

The start of the monsoon season varies greatly from year to year. The average start is the third of July, as J found out (she keeps track of these things), but in my experience there is a huge standard deviation. Last year it barely arrived at all. But the first year we were year there were huge downpours in August.

When the heavy rains do come, they will flood the creek bed where I take my walks. I have not been out there in weeks due to the extreme heat. It will give me an excuse to return, and to check on the rabbits.